A History of Radyr Cricket Club

Radyr Cricket Club was founded in 1890 courtesy of the Earl of Plymouth who granted a hundred year lease for the current riverside ground to the local residents for a nominal sum. It was rated prior to the turn of the Century as “an above average Club for a village with only 815 residents”. In these early days the Club was very much dependent upon Mr H.G Grover the local Solicitor who was largely responsible for the publication of its first fixture card in 1900.

The Club struggled to survive through the difficult war years of 1914 to 1918 and, with the death of H.F.Grover in 1922, Radyr were unable to field a side regularly. A meeting was held in 1928 at the Radyr Church Rooms to discuss the Club’s plight and, as a result, a merger took place with the Garth Cricket Club, who had lost their ground in Morganstown when the Lewis family sold the Tynant House the previous year. The new Club was called the Radyr and Garth Cricket Club and was formed under the Chairmanship of Rev. J.Edwards, the then Rector of Radyr.

This arrangement was maintained until the outbreak of the World War in 1939, which once again disrupted the Club. Photographs show that the playing area became overgrown during these dark years and the bowling section, which was located in the North West corner of the ground never recovered.Slowly the Cricket section got back on its feet and by 1950 the Club was flourishing under the Chairmanship of Hughbert Jackson and the Captaincy of Len Sampson, who were ably supported by their Secretary G.C.Aldridge. It was during this period that football was first played at the ground during the winter months.

Whilst it is often said by current members that the river bank appears to erode the ground each year, this is nothing when compared with the floods in 1960, which accounted for 36 feet overnight. Until that time, the access road ran behind the pavilion, an option which certainly is not available to the Club these days.

By 1970, generations had moved on and membership of the Club had once again diminished. During that season Radyr failed to field a side against the nomadic Overseas League side and this lead to an amalgamation of the two Clubs seemingly securing its future.

In 1973, disaster struck the Club when the old pavilion was destroyed by fire whilst the team itself was away on tour. Under the leadership of the new Chairman Keith Terry, a huge fund raising effort was made, which bonded the membership like nothing known before or since, and, in partnership with the Cardiff Corinthians Football Club, cricket at Radyr was saved and a new pavilion opened on the footprint of the old one in 1975.

In 1976, the Club voted to play league cricket. In order to do so, it was necessary to field two sides on a Saturday. Whilst seen as a tall order at first, Radyr fulfilled its fixtures that year and never looked back. In 1990, the club celebrated its centenary in great style. The Club hosted many additional fixtures including a full week of cricket during July and a fixture against Glamorgan in August. In 1991, the Club won the First Division of the Welsh Conference, which resulted in an invite to the Welsh Alliance League. In 1992, the Club reached the semi final of the Welsh Cup and, such was the growth in membership, it was able to enter a 3rd XI into League Cricket.In 1998, Radyr opened a second ground immediately adjacent to the existing ground, obtaining a lease from the Welsh Water Board, who owned the freehold. In 1999, the South Wales Cricket League was formed and Radyr took its place in the 1st Division, a position it has retained ever since.

Radyr currently boasts three international junior cricketers, whom we trust will go on, with others, to uphold the Club's traditions and write yet another chapter in this rich history.